A Successful Year for the Huntington Beach City Attorney’s Office

Huntington Beach, CA, November 02, 2014 --(PR.com)-- The Office of the Huntington Beach City Attorney has published its 2013/14 Annual Report detailing a year of success.

"It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your City Attorney,” said Huntington Beach City Attorney Jennifer McGrath.

The City Attorney’s Office provides both Advisory and in-house Litigation services. The City Attorney’s full–service approach to a municipal law office greatly reduces budgetary expenditures in lieu of outsourcing all litigation matters to outside counsel (a more expensive alternative) saving taxpayer money. The City Attorney’s office also provides specialized and pertinent in-house professional training courses to all City personnel saving taxpayers substantial outside training costs.

Some of the year’s highlights include:

- successfully defending the City and two police officers in a federal civil rights/wrongful death jury trial involving a police shooting;

- successfully defending the City’s Charter to keep cell phone towers out of all City parks, ensuring our parks are safe and meeting the diverse recreational needs of our community;

- prevailing in the Huntington Beach Senior Center litigation;

- successfully defending a contractor’s lawsuit seeking $750K in damages in the construction of a sewer lift station;

- negotiating a new franchise agreement with Paramount Petroleum that will bring the City over $600,000 in revenue the first year;

- securing an agreement with KABC-TV to be the Official Broadcaster for the July 4th Parade;

- securing a grant agreement with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for downtown law enforcement;

- preparing and coordinating 108 civil citation hearings;

- appearing on behalf of the City and/or resolving 103 criminal hearings;

- completing 245 requests for legal services from 14 separate City Departments ranging from Human Resources to Business Development;

- providing specialized and pertinent in-house professional training courses to all City personnel, (saving the City substantial outside training expenses) including training in Ethics, Conflict Resolution, Public Records Act, Brown Act, Sexual Harassment, and more.

The experienced staff of the City Attorney’s Office works diligently to provide timely customer service to fourteen City departments, City Council, and City officers and employees.

Offering an array of in-house legal expertise has earned the City Attorney’s Office a renowned and distinguished reputation by providing some of the finest and most comprehensive municipal law services in the State of California.

About the Huntington Beach City Attorney's Office: The Huntington Beach City Attorney represents and advises the City Council, 14 separate City Departments, and all City officials in matters of law pertaining to the business of the City of Huntington Beach. The City Attorney also represents the City of Huntington Beach in court. The City Attorney position requires an extensive background in municipal law.

Jennifer McGrath (jennifermcgrath.com) has served as the Huntington Beach City Attorney since her election in November 2002, after previously working as a Deputy City Attorney. Huntington Beach is Jennifer McGrath's hometown.

Jennifer McGrath has a proven record of superior legal representation of the City with reduced reliance on outside counsel and substantial cost savings for Huntington Beach. She protects taxpayer money, reducing the need for taxes and fees, by avoiding lawsuits whenever possible and aggressively defending lawsuits against the City. Jennifer McGrath believes tax dollars should not be wasted on frivolous lawsuits, but dedicated to public safety, infrastructure, and community services.